Phil SumblerThe Swans will this evening face a West Bromwich Albion side down on confidence, goals and stuck in a rut.ย ย That is the view at least of new Albion boss Steve Bruce who, after the weekend results, has seen his side slide to 13th in the Championship table.
Another game without a goal this evening will be the third time they have failed to score at home in a row at this level and be their worse run for that stat since 2003 when they were under the stewardship of Gary Megson.
The Baggies were top of the table in October and still in the top four at New Year but without a win in six games they have dropped to the bottom half of the table, eight points adrift of the play off positions.
These are concerning times at the Hawthorns with the expectation for the season being a return to the Premier League but right now they are nothing like a Premier League team and certainly are in need of a morale boosting win – something that Bruce his more than aware of.
“It’s a football cliche. But you just need one win,” Bruce told BBC Radio WM
“You just need a 1-0, in off the referee, off someone’s backside, whatever.
“Usually when a new manager goes in, there’s a bit of a bounce, which we haven’t been able to create.
“We haven’t been able to sustain it over a full 90 minutes, which is a bit of a concern but it’s my job to try and turn it round and get that win, because a win changes a lot, very quickly, in this league or any other.
“It’s very difficult when you get into this rut where you don’t win. Confidence ebbs away. They’ve been playing a certain way for seven months I come in and I’m not going to try and rip it up in a week.
“The bottom line is that we can’t score a goal and to win a football match for West Brom, we have to score a goal.”
The game at the Hawthorns kicks off at 8pm and is live on Sky Sports.
